"I love you."

Jungkook's breathe left in a hush in between the closed space between him and the older. Taehyung was shaking, he was trembling. Both in joy and terror.

"Tae? Please say something?"

The younger was on the verge of ripping his own heart out. It's not possible physically but the pain that his heart was going through at that time was enough for the raven head to believe that it's completely possible.

Taehyung was crying. His tears flowed like a river. Truthfully, he did not look like a 30 years old young tycoon who had the world of corporate at the tips of his fingers. He did not look like the cocky bastard he was portraying himself all these years.

He looked young. He looked vulnerable. He looked broken.

"I know you said you used to love me Tae. I know you're probably upset about Lucas. But I am not in love with Lucas. I know he deserves better Tae. The night we talked in your room, the night where you admitted to saving me, that was the night I knew that my heart never belonged to another person. It always belonged here."

The raven head asserted a little pressure on the surface he was resting the palm of his hand as he watched the rising and falling of Tae's chest, rapidly. "It belonged here. Always."

"Tae? Will you please say something?" Jungkook cupped the older's cheeks in the palm of his hands while Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut in agony. He was trembling out of control and his soft sniffles turned into an ugly cry. He wasn't bothered about it. The silver head allowed the cleansing pass through his soul, to the very core of his body.

"I talked to Lucas before I got home today. I ended every single possibility there is with him. I know I can never return his feelings. Not now and will never be able to. I realized that I have no rights to call you a hypocrite when I did similar things as well. I kissed you without your permission and I did not care about Lucas. I was selfish, for no reason."

Jungkook pressed his forehead forward. As Taehyung continues to cry, he continued to speak. The younger has never felt the need to empty his heart before. Right now, with the overwhelming presence of the older surrounding him, Jungkook knows he can't back out. He needed to speak. He needed to speak only the truth.

"Taehyung? Will you at least look at me?" The plea was so compelling as Taehyung had no choice but to abide. He was enchanted.

"I love you Tae."

The silver head's glossy eyes adjusted its vision to take in the image of the younger. If Taehyung looked like he was run over by a truck, then Jungkook looked worse. The younger looked like he was stormed under an avalanche.

"I don't know what to say Jungkook."

His voice was hoarse, it sounded broken underneath the perfect sentence which Taehyung managed to voice out.

"I don't think so I deserve you Jungkook. I did nothing to deserve you Bun." The older took the younger's face, held it in the palm of his hands while Jungkook's grip on his grew stronger.

Both the males were trembling, the simple touch of their bodies together transferred the flow of emotion like an electric current, shocking each of them to their core. Jungkook could feel the coldness from the tips of Taehyung's fingers while the older could feel the quivering of the younger's body.

"Please say anything but not this Tae. I want to know how you truly feel."

Jungkook couldn't bring himself to confess how he overheard Taehyung and Yoongi's conversation at the office. He wanted to scream and request Tae to admit that the silver head did say how in love he is with Jungkook. The raven head wants to beat his chest and claim proudly that he is being loved in return.

The younger wasn't accepting the hesitation on Taehyung's mind when he sees the older retrace his cold fingers and twitching body apart from his.

"Tae?"

"I'm sorry Kooks. I don't think so I deserve to be with you. Just like how you think Lucas deserves better. I believe you should be with someone who can give you so much love and care Bun. Someone who can love you and not tarnish you. Someone who won't pressure you or condescend to you in anyways. You deserve the world Jungkook, and that world shouldn't be me."

Jungkook shakes his head. He can't believe Taehyung is giving up on him. The way he speaks, the way he stood up and stood far away from the raven head, the way his eyes screams I want you but his actions are pulling him back like a laced puppet at a theatre show.

"Please don't do this Tae. I know you love me too."

Taehyung looked up. He watched the younger's head hung low as Jungkook's shoulder dropped, his entire body looked small and fragile on the couch.

"I heard you and Yoongi."

The younger finds no reason to hide. Jungkook wanted Taehyung to be able to confess on his own. For some reason, the older's guilt was too blinding and it was hurting Jungkook in more ways than one.

"I heard how you told Yoongi about your feelings." He waited. Jungkook waited for any reaction from Taehyung. When he looked up, he saw the older stood there petrified, looking pale as a white paper as his sniffles continued. "Why are you pushing me away when you love me too?"

The image of the older's broken heard bled like an ocean through his eyes. Knees surrendering to meet the hardwood floor on the surface of his glamourous penthouse. The heartbreak came in waves as Taehyung's body crouched forward as he closed his face in defeat.

How is he supposed to face the man he walked over 8 years ago? How can he admit his shame for not standing up for his love when he should have done so? On what basis does Taehyung have the right to reclaim his love after tormenting the poor young ravenette's heart for so many years?

So many of you claimed that Taehyung doesn't deserve Jungkook. He cheated on the raven head when he shouldn't have. 8 years ago, at the New Year's party, Taehyung promised to take care of his lover. He gave his full assurance to Jungkook that he will be on his guard. On that very night, not only he failed his promise, he was defeated under the influence of alcohol which took away his love, his prized possession.

Just like how you believed Taehyung doesn't deserve the younger, the young tycoon himself, believed the same notion.

"I can never love you right Jungkook. I can never. I can never be the one you want, I'm a loser. I'm an ass, a fucking dick who always puts myself over the others. I fucking picked the easy way out. I did not fight for us Jungkook, I did not fight for you. Bloody hell! I'm so mad at myself. I can't remember anything about us in the past!"

The overflowing sadness took a sudden turn, making the older's hostile towards his self. He started to slap his cheeks hard, causing turmoil while Jungkook watched him in horror.

"TAEHYUNG! STOP IT!"

Jungkook was quick to find his place in front of the older. Taehyung's outbreak was turning out of hand as Jungkook watched in fright. He has never seen Taehyung losing his mind terribly when they dated. He has never seen anyone behave such psychotically which shake Jungkook to his core.

"TAEHYUNG, PLEASE! LISTEN TO ME. STOP IT." He was struggling to grab hold of Taehyung's flapping hands as the older was turning violent, in an attempt to abuse his body. His aggression turned his actions into a wild protest. He was losing himself rapidly.

"IM AN ASSHOLE. I AM TERRIBLE JUNGKOOK. I HURT YOU. I HURT MY FRIENDS. I HURT MY BROTHER. IM A BAD FATHER FOR LUNA. I FUCK AROUND, I KNOW NOTHING. IM SUCH A SHITTY PERSON. I DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING."

"TAEHYUNG, WILL YOU FUCKING STOP?" Jungkook caught himself sending a loud slap across the older's face as Taehyung jerked in surprise. The impact of the younger's slap sent Taehyung leaning towards his right as he grabbed his cheeks while his aggression toned down.

It was like turning the tap water on and off, one minute he was out there torturing himself and the next minute he was sniffling softly.

"I-I'm sorry." Jungkook's chest rise and fall, his breathe were shaking on its own when he noticed what he did. "I'm sorry Tae. I didn't mean to."

"T-that's fine. I just need some time." With that, the older was on his way to his room, his footsteps echoed loud and clear in Jungkook's ear as the younger fell into his dismay.

Was Jungkook expecting a beautiful confession and rainbows with rays of sunshine when he decided to confront his love? No.

Was he expected to slap Taehyung in the process with a possibility of losing his love forever? No.

Thus he waited. Jungkook was inching closer and closer to the silver head's room. He gently popped the door open to find the older curled up in a ball on his king bed, tangled in his sheets. Once again, Taehyung was facing the huge glass window, ignoring the presence in his room.

The raven head stepped in. He stepped closer.

The 20 years old Jungkook probably would have abided by the older's request to give him some time while he retraces back to his caccoon, but the older and current Jungkook is not a quitter. He has grown over the past 8 years battling to shut his emotion and desire down. He never knew he had the fire flaming for the silver head until the day they both met eye to eye.

8 years.

The pain was there, the betrayal was there. It WAS there. It doesn't have to be anymore and Jungkook was certain he does not give a damn on what the other's think for every inch and fibre in his body screams for the silver head. Jungkook knows damn well he isn't walking out of here without an answer.

As his thoughts run in circles, Jungkook unconsciously neared the silver head's bed. When he walked in too close till his knees stumbled on the bed frame, he shakes his head to align his thoughts and desire. Slowly, he climbed onto the bed, ignoring the tensing figure on top of the sheets as he crawled closer to the silver head.

"Please. Whatever it is you want to say, just don't push me away. I know we have our battles to fight Tae. I know I love you. I know you do too."

Each word pierced through his heart as Taehyung continued to remain as a stone with his body tensing with the warmth of the raven head's chest pressing his shoulder back, arms securing around his waist.

"Let me stay. At least just for today. I need this. It's been so long Tae. Don't take it away from me." Jungkook whispered this part of his sentence closer to the older's ear as fresh tears dripped from the corner of his eyes, allowing it to decorate the older's cheeks.

Taehyung didn't reply. He didn't react.

He turned his body around and pulled the younger's face close to the nook of his neck and allowed the raven head to hold onto him as his life depends on it while he soothes the younger, gently running his hands up and down Jungkook's back.

"I love you too Bun."

.
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🥀
Imma cry.

JK and Tae are broken in their own ways. Like JK said, they have their own battle to fight.
Tae returner JK's love in words, do you think he will do so by action?